Today, advances in wireless communication are making it possible to connect people everywhere. Wireless communication is overcoming barriers of distance and physical wires to provide instant point-to-point communication. As wireless communication becomes more affordable for more people, wireless communication devices have become almost indispensable for many people both on and off the road, at home and at work.
While the cellular communication devices (e.g., cellular phones) have become less expensive, they have not become much easier or simpler to use for a large segment of population. For example, placing a call through a cellular communication device can still present a daunting task for many children, the aged, and the physically and/or mentally disabled. This is especially true for young children who do not yet recognize numbers on the dialing keypad or the functions of the buttons on a cellular phone. Cellular communication devices have found increasing use among children. For instance, it is not uncommon for children to carry a pager. Indeed, some parents equip their child with a pager or even a cellular phone to maintain around the clock communication. On the other hand, dialing a number by pressing a series of buttons on a cellular phone can be a challenging task for the aged and the physically and/or mentally disabled people. For example, an aged person suffering from eye maladies may not be able to dial a number by sight. In this case, the only practical way for the person to dial would be to dial by memory and feel of the layout of the buttons on the cellular phone. Such a procedure in dialing a number would be very inconvenient.
Another drawback of the current cellular communication devices is the size of the devices. Because these devices are meant to be typically used as portable devices, people have demanded smaller cellular communication devices. Unfortunately however, the size of the cellular communication devices has been limited by the incorporation of the standard 12-key keypad into most devices. Although these 12 keys provide extra features and attendant convenience in communicating, they also define a lower limit on how small the cellular communication devices can be. That is, a cellular device or phone must be larger than the 12 keys it incorporates. In addition to these keys, a typical cellular phone includes more buttons to provide extra features to the users. For example, many cellular phones include buttons such as volume control button, on/off button, etc.
In an attempt to address some of these problems, a conventional cellular phone such as SOS Phone has included three buttons, an on/off button, and a pair of volume buttons for a total of six buttons. The first button is used for calling a live operator, who connects the user to a desired number. The second button is used t o call an emergency roadside service provider in case of an automobile related mishap. The third button connects the user to 911 emergency service. The on/off button is necessary to answer or hang up a call in the SOS phone.
The SOS Phone, however, still does not adequately address the problem s described above. First, young children still may not be able to distinguish the differences among three buttons to use it effectively. Second, children typically do not need the emergency roadside service provider button since they do not drive. Third, these three buttons and the three more buttons for on/off and volume control still present a limitation to the size of a cellular communication devices.
Thus, what is needed is a cellular communication device, method, and system that is easy to use for people of all ages, conditions, and technical savvy. In particular, what is needed is a cellular communication phone, system, and method that is easy to use for children or people who do not require or need complex features of conventional cellular phone system.